Vassalboro Methodists adapt to changes

Pews that were moved from the old church to the new. (photo courtesy of Dale Potter-Clark)

by Dale Potter-Clark

The Vassalboro Methodists first professed their faith in 1794 when the itinerant minister Rev. Jesse Lee preached at Getchell’s Corner, and they have been on the move and adapting to change ever since.

Vassalboro history tells us there were four Methodist churches in town at one time: South Vassalboro on Cross Hill (1813); East Vassalboro (1840); North Vassalboro (1865); and at Getchell’s Corner (1868). None of those buildings exist any longer. The Vassalboro United Methodist Church (VUMC) on route 32/Main Street is the only one in town today – constructed when the declining congregations in North and East Vassalboro recognized the need to change. They combined in 1987 and took on the seemingly gargantuan task of constructing a new church building.

The old East Vassalboro Methodist Church. (photo courtesy of Dale Potter-Clark)

Ever since VUMC’s doors opened in 1988 community members have been welcomed to worship services – some have transferred from other local churches that have closed their doors. Public meals, weddings, funerals and special events are frequently held there as well. Other than choosing to add a rear el to hold office space and two meeting rooms in 2003, members of the little country church have not had to undertake any major structural or interior changes until last year. It was then a largely attended funeral made them realize they needed to make some adaptations for folks with mobility and accessibility challenges and they immediately began to plan accordingly.

“The project was planned in three stages,” said Harvey Boatman, project coordinator. “Once funding was secured, our first step was to install a lift/elevator between the sanctuary and the lower level where our fellowship hall and bathrooms are located. The lift is very close to completion and it should become operational in February. During the early stages of the installation we discovered significant damage to the roof so unexpected, emergency repairs had to be done which included removal of the damaged steeple. Through all that, the lift installation never faltered. We had a lot going on here for a while last fall,” said Boatman.

Once the lift was 99 percent done the next major adaptation for improved accessibility was to remove parts of two pews near the center of the sanctuary to better accommodate wheelchairs. This was completed on Tuesday, January 21st and the following day some veteran members saw the changes. “There are several older folks who attend VUMC – some who were once members of the East or North Vassalboro churches and were here when VUMC was built,” said Boatman. “But given time to understand they have been real troopers! It’s human nature to have some resistance to change no matter how young or old we are but the vast majority of our congregation has been on board from the beginning.”

Theresa White, 94, of Vassalboro, was among the first to arrive on Wednesday and even though she was there for a meeting, she arose from her chair saying, “I cannot wait! I have to go upstairs to see the pews. Mae Jones was not far behind her. “It is beautiful,” exclaimed White. “You can’t really even tell they were ever there. The carpet there looks good too and isn’t hurt at all.” Jones recalled that one of the removed pews used to be “her pew,” where she sat with Carroll and Betty Rowe over the years. Through their reminiscing both White and Jones seemed to appreciate the progress made and the craftsmanship that went into the job.

The pews at VUMC were moved there from the East Vassalboro Methodist church that no longer stands. A news article appeared in 1871 when that church was built and included details such as, “…the circular pews with ash backs (now at VUMC) sat 300 people. Friend, C.M. Bailey, from the Winthrop Center Quaker congregation, gave a Bible; William Cates a pulpit chair; James Cates a chandelier and side lamps; Mrs. S. Marshall the altar table.” The bell was added in 1873 and that, along with the pews and some of the previously mentioned items, was also moved to VUMC in 1988. That bell chimes every Sunday morning to welcome folks to the worship service and beckoning to those who may also come one day to help re-fill those old pews.

A ceremony will be held later this year to dedicate the new lift/elevator and to recognize those who made it possible through their donations of funds, time and efforts. FMI about VUMC’s continuing accessibility project, their events, programs and services email info.vumc@gmail.com or phone (207) 873-5564 or follow the Vassalboro United Methodist Church Facebook page.

FROM NORTH VASSALBORO Methodist Church

Stained glass windows on the north and south walls of the sanctuary;
Pews in the Fellowship Hall (they are too large to fit in the sanctuary);
Large Pastor’s pulpit and chair;
Communion table;
Marble top table at back of sanctuary.

FROM EAST VASSALBORO Methodist Church:

Stained glass window behind pulpit, moved in and remains enclosed in original framing;
The 1,500 lb. steel church bell cast by Sheffield Sons & Co., in England, in 1871;
The pews in the sanctuary;
The smaller Lay Leader pulpit and chair.

China planners OK flood hazard development permit for landing

by Mary Grow

At their Jan. 28 meeting, China Planning Board members approved a flood hazard development permit for the town’s planned rebuilding of Town Landing Road, in South China Village.

When board members approved a conditional use permit for earth-moving at their Jan. 14 meeting, approval was conditioned on getting a flood hazard development permit. The board has not granted one for so long that Codes Officer Nicholas French needed to create an application form.

He did, and presented a completed application at the Jan. 28 meeting. It asked approval “to pave/stabilize the [Town Landing] road, armor the end with concrete planks and crushed stone, install a drainage ditch, check dams, + a vegetative buffer.” The size was given as 25-feet-by-550-feet; the cost was estimated at $125,000.

Board members quickly found the project met flood hazard requirements (most deal with structures in flood zones and were irrelevant) and approved the permit. French will create an approval form for them to sign at their next meeting.

In an email after the meeting, French said the Town of China now has all needed permits for the road rebuilding project.

Discussion of the second item on the Jan. 28 agenda, timber harvesting regulations, led to a broader discussion of ordinance amendments.

Board Chairman Toni Wall and French explained that in November 2024, China voters approved an ordinance amendment that transferred authority to regulate timber harvesting (in shoreland, resource protection and stream protection districts) from town officials to the Maine Forest Service. Forest Service officials have asked for additional deletions of references to town authority, from lists of responsibilities to definitions.

Ordinance amendments need voter approval. Newly-appointed (and former) board member Milton Dudley asked about presenting other changes at the same time.

At various times in 2024, board members discussed updates and additions to several parts of the town’s Land Development Code. They lacked time to develop wording.

French said any changes proposed for the June 10 town budget meeting need to be drafted by the end of February, so voters can comment at a public hearing before the final version goes on the meeting warrant early in April.

The next town wide vote after June 10 will be in November 2025.

French’s report to the board included announcing that he has been selected as the Mid-Maine Chamber of Commerce municipal employee of the year, with seven nominations. An awards banquet will be held in April. Board and audience members congratulated him.

The next regular China Planning Board meeting is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 11.

Cabin Fever Quilt Show and luncheon on tap in Vassalboro

A “Cabin Fever Quilt Show and Luncheon” will be held in Vassalboro on Saturday, February 15, (storm date February 22) at the Vassalboro United Methodist Church (VUMC), 614 Main Street.. “What better way to spend a mid-winter Saturday than taking in a display of beautiful new and vintage quilts,” said one of the event coordinators, Dale Potter-Clark. “Quilts of all sizes, ages, patterns and skill levels will be draped over the pews in the sanctuary, producing a rather breathtaking display.” A luncheon will add to the enjoyment of the day.

Some antique quilts from the Vassalboro Historical Society’s collection will be among those on display as well as others, both old and new, from church members and local families. Information about the quilts’ histories will be provided and there will be people on standby to answer questions that may arise. Those who attend the Quilt Show will be eligible for a door prize – one drawing will be done every hour 11:00 a.m – 2 p.m. Some newly-made quilts will be available for purchase, a percentage of which will be designated to the VUMC building fund as will be all proceeds from the day.

The quilts will be on display 10 a.m. – 2 p.m., and the luncheon will be served 11:30 a.m. p.m., to include special desserts and sweets with Valentine’s Day in mind for a $10 donation, and additional donations would be appreciated for the Quilt Show. Anyone with interest in entering a quilt, whether vintage or newer, can email crossings4u@gmail.com or call or text (207) 441-9184. Follow this and future special events and public meals on the Vassalboro United Methodist Church Facebook page.

PHOTO: Success on the ice

James Owens, son of Anne Owens, of Vassalboro, caught this beautiful brown trout, in China Lake, on Saturday, January 18. The trout was 19 inches long and weighed 3 pounds.

Vassalboro transfer station members focus on wetlands

by Mary Grow

Much of the Jan. 23 discussion among Vassalboro Transfer Station Task Force members focused on wetlands.

Task Force members have talked for months about a rearrangement of the waste disposal facility on Lombard Dam Road. Their main goal is to increase safety by traffic changes. They would like to eliminate the need for residents to back up to the waste hoppers and simplify traffic flow.

Town officials intend to buy most of a foreclosed parcel immediately east of the transfer station to provide more space for a redesign. The land includes a right-of-way, wetlands and a small steam.

Town Manager Aaron Miller will try to find out if the right-of-way is still valid; the property it serves to the south apparently now has another access from the east. The extent of the wetlands, and the restrictions imposed, are under discussion with staff from the state Department of Environmental Protection.

Task Force chairman Chris French plans to notify DEP that town officials intend to avoid infringing on wetlands.

Task Force members agreed their next step should be to have engineer Jeff Senders, of Senders science, engineering & construction, of Camden, revise plans he prepared in May 2024.

They also talked about adding roofs over open waste containers and pads under waste piles (like compost), projects recommended by transfer station manager Adam Daoust. Miller plans to prepare requests for bids for various projects.

To give Senders time to revise his plan, the next Task Force meeting will not be until Thursday, March 5, at 5:15 p.m., before the select board meeting scheduled for that evening.

Vassalboro trails committee discusses maintenance work

Vassalboro Trails (photo by Laura Jones)

by Mary Grow

Vassalboro Trails Committee members discussed maintenance work for 2025 at a Jan. 21 meeting. At chair John Melrose’s suggestion, they agreed by consensus to ask town voters for a $1,250 budget allocation for 2025-26, the same amount as in the current year.

Melrose said this year’s funds are two-thirds spent, and the rest will be used before the fiscal year ends June 30. Town funds are supplemented by a great deal of volunteer work, assistance from the public works department and gifts.

The meeting agenda listed trails for which the committee is responsible: Town Forest/Red Brook, Seaward Mills, Davidson Preserve, Spectacle Pond, Sturgis Sanctuary, Willow Walk and Vassalboro Wildlife Habitat, plus snowmobile trails.

Individual committee members reported on several trails they had checked recently. They found only minor storm damage and generally good conditions.

Proposed projects include widening parts of some trails by cutting brush; dealing with wet areas in various ways, from adding gravel to building bridges; and adding signs, both trail signs and, if possible, signs identifying different tree species.

Committee members endorsed working with the Kennebec Land Trust to provide additional parking for the Seaward Mills trail. Melrose said public works director Brian Lajoie intends to have the town crew improve parking at the Sturgis Sanctuary later in the spring.

From the audience, resident Dave Richard offered assistance with trail work in general and especially if committee members were interested in allowing mountain biking on some trails.

Committee members did not set a new meeting date. They will schedule a trails work day this spring; Melrose suggested in May.

VASSALBORO: All town voters can vote for sanitary district trustees

by Mary Grow

Vassalboro select board members settled two issues that have been on their meeting agendas since November 2024.

They agreed that all town voters, not just those who live in the area the Vassalboro Sanitary District serves, can vote for VSD trustees. And they approved a handicapped parking space at Hair Builders on Oak Grove Road, in North Vassalboro.

Initially, select board members and Town Manager Aaron Miller believed state law let only people served by a sanitary district elect its board of trustees. However, in the last few weeks two attorneys, the VSD’s and the town’s, have said all voters may weigh in.

In a related matter, select board members appointed Donna E. Daviau a member of the VSD board. Like Ericka Roy, appointed in October 2024, she will serve until the next election. Both are eligible to run for election for a full term in June.

Board members also had an attorney’s opinion that they could create the handicapped parking space requested by Hair Builders, and that since it was in an area where parking is allowed, they do not need to hold a public hearing. The handicapped space was approved 2 – 1, with board chairman Frederick “Rick” Denico, Jr., and Michael Poulin in favor and Chris French opposed.

The space will be in an area where overnight parking is prohibited, from 10 p.m. to 7 a.m. Miller and board members plan to provide signs that identify the handicapped space and prohibit using it, and adjoining areas, overnight.

Also on the Jan. 23 agenda were continued discussion of town personnel policy and recreation committee bylaws; another discussion of transfer station fees and revenue; and a topic Poulin proposed, expanding uses for Vassalboro’s TIF (Tax Increment Financing) money.

Board members almost finished reviewing the personnel policy. They have been debating options for giving time off for holidays, complicated because some holidays fall on days when not all staff would be working (like the day after Thanksgiving, a Friday when the town office is closed) and some (like Independence Day and Christmas) are tied to a date, not a day of the week.

Denico described other towns’ policies that Miller had collected as “all over the map,” with no consistency.

A draft personnel policy will be reviewed at the next board meeting.

Miller and Recreation Director Karen Stankis had developed draft revised recreation committee bylaws. Stankis plans to seek committee members’ input; she said the next committee meeting is scheduled for Monday, Feb. 10.

The question of transfer station fees was again postponed after a brief discussion. It has two components: as part of the total Vassalboro transfer station budget, and in relation to nearby towns. Station manager Adam Daoust started the discussion, concerned that Vassalboro’s comparatively low disposal fees for some items lead to out-of-towners trying to bring them in.

Poulin had compiled pages of information on other central Maine towns’ TIF plans. Board members discussed the amendment process, which includes a public hearing, tentatively scheduled for their Feb. 20 meeting, and getting approvals from the state Department of Economic and Community Development and from town voters.

Board members will hold their annual workshop meeting on the draft 2025-26 budget at 12:30 p.m., Tuesday, Feb. 4. Their next regular meeting is scheduled for Thursday evening, Feb. 6, preceded (according to the calendar on the town website, vassalboro.net) by a 5:30 p.m. workshop.

EVENTS: Vassalboro church to hold benefit for California fire victims

A benefit supper will be held by members of the Vassalboro Methodist Church on January 25th to benefit the southern California fire victims. Pictured here are some members of the planning committee, from left to right, Dale Potter-Clark, Nancy Adams, Linda Millay, Cindy Shorey and Simone Antworth all of Vassalboro. (photo courtesy of Dale Clark)

by Dale Potter-Clark

Members of the Vassalboro United Methodist Church (VUMC) are holding a public supper on Saturday, January 25, to benefit the southern California fire victims. The menu will include baked beans, salads, casseroles, breads and desserts.

Thousands of homes and businesses have been destroyed in the southern California fires, as well as local schools and churches. Preliminary assessments of the damage are underway and the United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR) has already awarded two solidarity grants to the California-Pacific Annual Methodist Conference to undergird their immediate relief efforts. This includes evacuee support like food and essential supplies as well as support for volunteer efforts and other relief activities. Proceeds from the VUMC public supper will assist the fire victims through the efforts of UMCOR.

The supper will take place at the VUMC, at 614 Main Street, Vassalboro, from 4 to 6 p.m., for a $10. donation. FMI email info.vumc@gmail.com or phone (207) 873-5564 and/or visit the Vassalboro United Methodist Church facebook page.

EVENTS: Vassalboro scouts to be honored on Scout Sunday

The Vassalboro Boy Scouts of America Scouting Troop #410 and Pack# 410 will be honored at the Vassalboro United Methodist Church on Scouts Sunday, February 2. Front row, from left to right, Declan McLaughlin, Lila Reynolds, Boone McLaughlin, Metcalf, and Beckett Metcalf. Back, Cubmaster Chris Reynolds, Lux Reynolds, Cole Stufflebeam, William Vincent, Christopher Santiago, Hunter Brown, and Scoutmaster Christopher Santiago. (contributed photo)

by Dale Potter-Clark

Members of the Vassalboro United Methodist Church (VUMC) will honor the Vassalboro BSA Scouting Troop #410 and Pack #410 and their Scoutmasters at 10 a.m., on Scouts Sunday, February 2. “We want to commend our Vassalboro Scouts for their outstanding community service and good deeds,” said VUMC’s Pastor Karen Merrill. “We hope that former Scouts and leaders will also plan to attend.” A reception will follow in the VUMC fellowship hall. Family members are also invited and encouraged to attend.

The event will take place at the Vassalboro United Methodist Church, at 614 Main Street, from 10 a.m. to noon. FMI email Pastor Merrill info.VUMC@gmail.com or Chris Santiago vassalborocubscoutpack410@gmail.com.

PHOTOS: Remembering the past summer

Brinley Bisson, 4, of Waterville, enjoyed some successful fishing herself this past summer. At top, fishing off a dock at Green Valley Campground, in Vassalboro,  the same place her mother, Kassandra Bisson, of Waterville, learned how to fish, and hauling in a bass, at her grandparents’ campsite, on Webber Pond.